Internal-combustion power system.



B. w. STEARN'S. INTERNAL COMBUSTI 0N.POWERSYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I2. 1914.

Pat-enfed J 1,1116 27, 1,916.

witness@ BENJAMIN W. s'rEARNs. or UNADILLA, NEW YORK.

NTERNAL-COMBUSTION POXVER SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters latent.

Application filed March 12, 1914. Serial No. 824,260.

T0 all u'zom 'it may concern:

Be it known that l. BENJAMIN Vi'. SiiiAnNs,

a citizen of the Vnited States. residing atv Unadilla'. in the county of Otsego and State of Xen" York. haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in a[internal-Combustion Power Systemsof which the following is la specification. reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

The invention relates to internal coiiibiistion engines provided with auxiliary devices for utilizing and' transforming into power .the surplus heat which. according to common practice, is usually dissipated in the cooling system and in the exhaust. By my invention.

I provide supplemental cylinders having pist-ons connected with the main crank shaft, an auxiliary pump for compressing air,v and means whereby the compressed air fromthe pump can be highly heated by the explosion cylinders and exhaust gases and expanded, after which it is admitted to the auxiliary cylinders to drive the pistons therein.

IThe principal object therefore ofmy invention is to provide an internal combustion engine having auxiliary mechanism of the sort above referred to.

Further objects-of the invention `are to provide numerous improved featuresadapted to coperate with the above mentionedde! vices to increase the efficiency of the engine and to provide for its convenient operation.

In the accompanying drawings I have for the sake of illustration shown one form of mechanism embodying the invention, but as many of the parts can be of any of the standard well .known types these `parts have there been shown conventionally and in some cases omitted entirely. The drawings are intended merely to guiilethe engineer in the con-` struction of an engine embodying my invention. and as to the 'various details of construction, the .proportion and farrangement of, parts, etc., there cian be wide variation.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view taken through the longitudinal centerof the engine, some of the parts being showniin elevation. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. .5Y is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 3-3.of Fig. Fig. l isa view similar to Fig. 3

l will be furtherl referred to.

taken along the line vl-t of Fig. 2. *Figy is a fragmentary sectional view ltaken along the line 5 5 of Fig. Fig. 6 isa sectional view taken along the line G-G of Fig. 2. Fig. 'T is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 7 7 of Fig. 1. i'

Referring to the drawings, 1 andi.)` represent respectively the lower and upperhalves of the main crank case'which is provided with main crank shaft bearings at 3, 1 and 5.

Mounted vin these bearings is the crank 6 having. in the construction sliown,'four crank arms with bearings forfourc'onnectllatcnted Juiief'', 19,16. y

ingri'ods. At one end of the crank shaft is a suitable {ly-wheel G. Mounted upon the up` [per half. of the crank case 2 are the cyli'n'f ders 'T and 8 which can'be forme-d in any` usual or preferred way, butwhich are ,shown as comprising a single body cast-ing Sand a single head casting 10. Slidable inthe cylinders 7 and 8 are pistons 11 and 12 .:oinn'ected respectivelyv with the crank shaft 6 bythe connecting rods 13 and 14. In Figs. 3 and 4 are shown valve mechanisms for controlling the admission and exhaust of gases to and from the cylinders 7 and 8; but as to these valve ,mechanisms there can be Wide variation, they of themselves forming no part of my invention. As shown the explosive gases.

are admitted from the manifold 15 through the valve 1 6 to the explosionspaeel above the piston when theyare tired by' the spark plug ,I

17. The exhaust gases pass out throughthe valve 18\into the exha'ustpassage 1,9 which 1 have shown in the ldrawings and have described an internalc'oinbustion engine of the two cylinder four-cycletype, but it ,will

be understood'that an engine of, this type is of other types vmay be' discharged at increased pressure into the ref ceiver 3() through the valved ports 33 and 34. Air from-thereceiver 30 passes into the cylinders Q6 `land Q7 through the valved ports 34 and 35 and from the cylinders is forced under still further increased pressure into the pipes 3G and 37. The pipes 3G and 3T communicate with the air passages 38 formed around the cylinders 7 and 8 and from these passages' the air is discharged into the i'eceiver 39 above the cylinders. I

The air is drawn into the compressing apparatus above described at atmospheric temperature and even aftercompression is relatively cool and therefore vquite dense, as

compared with its subsequent condition.- Howevei, .immediately upon entering the y passages 38 surrounding the explosioncylinders the air becomes great-ly heated and at. once expands and becomes at once relatively rareiied. Thisl heated raretied air rises into the receiver 39 wlieie it i'svavailable for use inthe inainier to be described Mounted upon the upper half 2 of thec-rank case are two vsupplemental cylinders 40 and 41 which also ifdesired Vmay be cast in one piece. They yare provided respectively with pistons 42 and 43 and ,withV connecting rods 44 and 45 which engage the Above the cylinders main crank .shaft 6. 40 and 41 is areceiver 4G which communicates with the -receiver "39 through the valved port 47.. The exhaustpipe 19 extends iirst into the receiver 39 and from it into the receiver 4G whereA it 'is coiled 'as indicated at 4S. The heated air passes from the receiver 39 into the receiver 46-.where it is still further .heated and rareed b v contact with the coil 48. Mounted within the receiver 46 is an air tight hood 49, communication between 'the-receiver46 and the' interior of the hood being ,controlled by vmeans of they valve 50. This valve is pro-` vided with suitable connections including the rod 51' by means of which it 4can be controlled by an operator at a suitable point` as for instance at the dash-board of an automobile. Insideof thehood 49 is a slide valve mechanism connected with the crank shaft by means of suitable gearing 53, to be reciprocated at every revolution of i massue the sha-ft. Vhen the\valfe 'meehanism is in the position shown' in Fig. 1,". air from the hood 49 will be admitted to the cylinder40 through a' suitableport 54, to drive thev piston downward. At the same; time. airis discharged from the cylinder 41 through the 'port 55 int-o the valve Ichamber and from the valve chamber through the port 56 (shown in Fig. 7) into the exhaust pipe 57 which communicates with the main exhaust then the slideivalve mechanismpipe v19.

52 is at the other end of its stroke air is admitted tothe cylinder 41 and discharged from the cylinder 40. Preferably, thoughl not necessarily7 I provide the Aauxiliary exhaust passages, as indicated at 5S in Fio. 7.

From the foregoing description, the operation of the engine. will be readily understood. The internal combustion motor comprising the cylinders 7 andI 8 is started in theusual manner-and generates power in the usual way.- By means of power derived from the internal colnbustion cylinders and transmitted through the crank shaft 6 the vair compressing mechanism is driven and relatively cool air under pressure is supplied to the space surrounding the hot combustion cylinders. This a1r,'as above described, becomes heated `and vpasses first intoV the receiver 39 and then into the receiver 46 when it is still further heated and expanded contact with tl.- exhaust coil 48.

From the receiver 46 the air is admitted to the hood 49 and from the hood by means of the valve mechanism 52 it is admitted to .the cylinders 40 and 41 to drive the pistons therein and thus supply supplemental power'to the shaft 6. t'lwill be understood 'that .the air in passing from the compressor to thevalve mechanism at 52 has because.

of its increase in temperature been expanded several times inv volume with the resultv .that for apgiven pressure there Ais several timesas much power available for driving thel pistons `42 and 43 as was required to drive the compressor mechanism. In'this wayA the heatofthe explosion cylinders and of the exhaust gases is` transformed into power, the cylinders being kept relatively cool by the incoming "air .from the compressor and the exhaust gases upon discharge being relatively cool because of the discharge of their heat at the coil 48.

nder some circumstances it may be found that the. air. supplied from the compresser mechanism is not sutiieient to properly cool the cylinders 7 and 3. IYhen this is found to be the case. I provide a supplemental cooling'chamber 59. in the head 10 above the cylinders. Openings GO and 61` connnunicatewiththe external airaud a pipe (32 communicates with the main exhaust pi] e 19. The suction of the exhaust draws air through the exhaust pipe G2 and thus causes the, entry ot cold air through the openings titl and (3l. in this way the cylinders 7 and H are .supplementally cooled.

AIn some circumstances it may be found .desirable to increase the storage capacity :tor compressed air. 'hen additional sten age capacity is found to be desirable I provide a pressure tank 63 which communicates with the receiver 39 by means of a pipe 64: and with the receiver t6 b v means of a pipe 65. It will be seen that the air from the receiver 39 can bepassed to the tank 63, and that even it it becomes cooled in t-he said tank it will be again heated upon reaching the receiver t6 and coming into contact with the ,coil i8. iVhen the engine embodying my invention is to be used upon an automobile the tank 63 can conveniently be located underneath the front seat.

By closinglthe valve 50 just prior to the stopping of the engine a charge of the compressed air can beV retained inl the yeceivers 39 and-t6 (andin the tank 63 itfused). After the engine has been stopped and it is desired lto start it again, starting can be accomplished by opening the valve 50 which will at once admit air to drive the pistons t2 and t3 which will in turn drive the pist-ons 11 and 12. In this way the internal combustion engine is started and there is no need for the usual hand-crank or automatic self-starter.

l nication with the openv ends of the jackets and having valve controlled communication -with the air motor whereby the heated .and

expanded air can be utilized for the development of power. v

- :2. The combination of an internal combustion engine having jacketed cylinders, an air compressor driven by the engine, an air motor having its power transmitting parts mechanically connected withv the power transmitting parts of the internal combustion engine, a" duct leading air from the compressor to the cylinder jackets of the engine where it is heated and expanded, a receiver for the heated and expanded air from the jackets, the said receiver .having valve controlled communication with t-he air motor whereby the heated and expanded air can be utilized for the development ot power. andan exhaust pipe extending trom the engine through the receiver and serving to maintain the. air therein in a heated and expanded condition.

3. The combination ot an internal combustion engine having jacketed cylinders, an air -ompressor driven by the engine, an air motor having its power transmitting parts mechanically connected with the power transmitting parts of the internal;

the receivers and serving to maintain the.

air therein'in a heated and expanded condition.

+L. The combination of an internal combustion engine having jacketed cylinders, an air coinpressor driven by the engine, `an air motor, a duct leading air from the coinpresser to the cylinder jackets ot the engine where'it is heated and expanded, a receiveir for the heated and expanded air from the jackets, a pressure tank separated from the receiver, the said receiver having valve controlled communication.with the air niotoi'` whereby the heated and expanded air can be utilized for the developmentl ot' power, the said valve'controlled communication being entirely independent of the said pressure tank, and a pipe connecting the tank and receiver.

5. The combination of an internal combustion engine having jacketedr cylinders, an aircompressor driven by the engine, an air motor, a duct leading air from the compressor to the cylinder jackets ot the engine where it is heated and expanded, a receiver for the heated and expanded air from the jackets, av second -receiver haygiligfcheck valve controlled communication with the first receiver, the said receiver having valve controlled communication with the air 4motorwhereby the heated and expanded ail can bel utilized for the development of power, a pressure tank separated from the receivers. a pipe connecting the first receiver with the tank, and a, second pipe connecting the tank with the second receiver.

6. The comlna-tion of an internal combustion engine having cylinders provided with jackets open at their. upper ends and with supplemental cooling chambers extending horizontally across their tops, an air cmupressor driven by the engine, an air motor, a duct leading air from the compres- .sor to the cylinder jackets of the engi-ne` where it is heated and expanded, a receiver above and innnedintel)Y adjacent the tops of the cylinder und the supplemental cooling elmlnbers therein.` tllie said receiver eolnnnb nienting direetl)v with the open ends of the jackets. means for conducting the heated und expanded air from the receiver to the air motor where it is utilized for the development of power, and ineens for causing ntinosplierie air tomm'e. through" the Cooling 10 elnnnbers of the c vlinders. v

ln testimony whereof, I ntlix 1n v signature, in presence of two witnesses.

BENJAMIX W. STERNS.

lVitnesses MARY E. SEACORD, JEROME S. Smcolzn. 

